Andrew Oldham explains how to save money and and create a unique garden walkway
Paths are expensive to build. The lion’s share of any garden budget often goes into hard landscaping, yet there are thrifty and enjoyable alternatives we can save us buying what we don’t necessarily need.
First of all, what about the humble but ‘does the job nicely’ grass pathway? Grass is often associated with pristine lawns and mowing, rather than as a way to get from A to B. Grass paths are often maligned due to poor drainage, as they can become muddy in winter and brown, compacted dust tracks in summer. Yet, they are porous and have their place, even just to help figure out which areas are most in need of a more permanent and solid solution.
For the first two years of my garden, every path was grass until I worked out where I walked the most, which was from shed to greenhouse, greenhouse to veg patch, after which all paths led to the kettle. Grass, if mowed, is durable, visually appealing and part of any garden’s biodiversity.
Some quick-fix paths
There are alternatives, which I refer to as ‘short-lived paths.’ Bark chippings spring to mind, bark can be costly if bought but there are apps like Chip Drop (www.getchipdrop.com) who connect gardeners with free chippings in their area.
Longer-lasting thrifty options
So, how can you have a permanent, long-lasting path that won’t break the bank? I have two bountiful resources in my garden: old bricks and stone. I regularly dig up both. I also have loads of sub soil dug out when a retaining wall was constructed to stop the garden collapsing into the house. For two years this sub soil has been used as beaten tracks in the garden, allowing water to disperse, but the downside of it was that weeds got a foothold.
So, in came red bricks, laid down over those beaten paths to create access to our cordon apples and pears. The bricks are set loose, in a pattern, and I may at some point concrete them in or simply brush sharp sand between them.
The stone was another matter and for that I channelled my 1970s childhood and brought back crazy paving. Like the bricks, I laid the stone out loose, placing the larger pieces on the edge of the path and filling in between them like a jigsaw. Next, it was simply a matter of placing them and making sure they were level. I brushed in a dry mix of cement and sand (one part cement to three parts sand), left it for several days, covered it if frost was on the cards, and a week later I had a path that snaked from the kitchen door to the garden steps.
The great thing about using recycled materials is that they dictate how they will be used, from the size to the shape of a path, be it bark, paving stones, bricks or stone. The last thing that recycled materials bring to the garden is green credentials and although I use cement, it is nothing compared to the cost and use of resources to buy new. My stone path cost me two bags of cement and three of sand, and that’s it. The rest was merely thinking outside the box, which is a concept we all could and should embrace as saving money feels so good.
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Andrew Self-sufficiency (ish) Jobs for the fortnight
1. Cleaning and oiling tools will save money and make them last longer.
Using a stiff brush and wire wool, clean tools. Remove all dirt, then oil blades and wooden handles.
2. Making sure hard surfaces are not slippy, so we last longer
Throw sharp sand on any hard surface and use a stiff brush to work it in. The action of scrubbing the surface removes moss and algae, and reduces the chance of slipping.
3. Tree planting
Soak bare rooted plants in a bucket for 30 minutes. Dig a hole wider and deeper than the root ball and add well-rotted manure with a sprinkling of mycorrhiza. Place the tree in the hole and backfill, gently firming down with your heel, then water well. Plant the tree slightly proud of the surrounding soil on a gentle mound to prevent waterlogging.
4. Soft fruit planting
Currants should be planted the same way as trees, 1-1.2m (3-4ft) between plants, then pruned back hard. Strawberries are planted 30-45cm (12-18in) apart, or planted in pots in the greenhouse for an early crop. Raspberries should be planted on wires between two posts at 45cm (18in) intervals. Top dress all plantings with well-rotted compost.
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Step by step project – making hurdles from hedge cuttings
This project allows you to reuse cuttings from your hedge that are thick enough to create supports.
You will need:
Cuttings from a hedge, thicker than your thumb, cut with secateurs to 60cm (24in) long, to give you 9 wood pieces
Panel Pins
Hammer
Secateurs
Step 1: Place four pieces of wood on the ground around 10cm (4in) apart to act as the horizontals (‘bars’).
Step 2: Place three pieces of wood on top of these, vertically (‘legs’). One on either end, and one in the middle.
Step 3: Using the hammer, nail them together. Do not worry if the nails go all the way through – see Step 5.
Step 4: Take the remaining two pieces of wood and place at a 45-degree angle so that they run down from the middle ‘leg’ to the left and right. Nail together.
Step 5: Flip the whole thing over and use the hammer to bend back any nails poking through so that they sit flush to the hurdle.
Step 6: Using the secateurs, cut the ‘legs’ at each end to a 45-degree angle to help push into the ground. Cut the middle-leg just below the bottom bar.
BIO
Andrew Oldham is a self-sufficient(ish) gardener who believes in the joy of down-to-earth growing and cooking. He lives high on the Saddleworth hills with his family at Pig Row. Find him on all social media platforms as @lifeonpigrow
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